Djara by Kat Evans: Book Review

Djara by Kat Evans is great fun. Set during the westward expansion in the US, when people wanted to strike it rich by finding gold. Enter Djara, a bounty hunter who is not afraid of anyone. Well, except for Eden, a dark haired beauty who has always held her heart.

This is the first book in a series and it’s only 15,000 words long. So inevitably it ends on a cliffhanger. However, it is so darn good that you should run out and go get it anyway.

The story starts with Djara getting a job to hunt down a ruthless outlaw named Kody. Her quest takes her right back to the place she grew up and the woman she has been running from for years.

Can she resist the pull that Eden has on her? Will Eden even care that Djara is back in town?

The Characters

The story told from Djara’s point of view so we really get to sympathise with her and see things from her perspective. It’s great fun because she is a well done character.

I also loved how Evans wrote the feelings that Djara has for Eden. I got it. I totally got it. And this is such a huge thing for me because writing chemistry between two women is not an easy task. Not every lesbian fiction author manages it. And yet the chemistry between these two sizzles right off the page and I am not ashamed to say that I got a little flushed at times.

The Writing Style

Where has Kat Evans been all my life? What a great storyteller. Her writing style is slick, the pacing is superb and I loved that she dropped me in the middle of a life without giving me tons of backstory and a lot of other superfluous bumf to wade through. It was brilliant how she made me discover what was happening as the story went on.

The Pros

This book is like the best kind of movie. It has a gunslinging woman in the lead with a strong storyline, excellent chemistry and a killer storytelling style.

I just love it so much.

Oh, and the sex is also a major pro (fan myself).

The Cons

It is way too short and the next installment isn’t out yet. It ends on a cliffhanger and so you will absolutely want to rip into the next book this is not a con unless you are still waiting for it to be released…(looks at Kat).

The Conclusion

I read a lot of books. I think it would be fair to say that I inhale books like oxygen. And yet it is rare for me to find a book that I love so totally that I am all consumed by it. It probably only happens every few hundred books I read/listen to. Well, this is one of those books. I spent a lot of time thinking about it and I have reread it already. I was miserable when I was finished and it took me a while to settle into another book.

These are all signs that the book really got under my skin. So yes, you should absolutely get this short novella. And then you should email Kat Evans and tell her that we are waiting for the next one already! (looks at Kat again)

Excerpt from Djara by Kat Evans

“I’ll be damned,” the woman said. “I heard you were back in town, but I couldn’t believe it until I saw you with my own eyes.”

Ah, shit. Although the hood had been snatched off her head right after she landed hard on her butt, Djara couldn’t bring herself to open her eyes. Not yet, not after hearing that voice. She wasn’t ready. Although her rear end throbbed, it was nothing compared to the throbbing, tightening sensation in her chest.

“You can leave us,” she heard Eden tell her henchmen. “Thank you for your help, guys.”

“She’s a fighter, that one. Want us to wait outside for a little while just to make sure she doesn’t try anything?”

Don’t go, Djara’s mind screamed to Eden’s accomplices. Don’t leave me alone with her she wanted to beg. She’d rather face a whole gang of outlaws single-handed in a showdown than be alone with Eden McAllister.

“I’ll be fine,” Eden told them. “She’s never tried to shoot me….when she was sober.” Once the men were gone, Djara could feel Eden’s eyes on her, but she refused to acknowledge her. The odors of hay, manure, leather, and cedar told Djara she was in a barn. Likely Grady’s out back of the saloon.

“What are you doing here, Djara? I figured you’d be dead by now.” A moment later, she demanded, “Well? Why won’t you answer me? At least look at me, damn it.”

Djara’s irritation overrode her hesitation. Her eyes snapped open. Dispassionately, her gaze traveled from the starched folds in Eden’s calico skirt to the black sash tied around her waist in a perky bow, up to the crisp white shirtwaist that hugged her curves in all the right places. The unbuttoned collar plunged low, hinting at breasts that were uncommonly full on a woman so tall and thin. From her décolletage to her long, slender throat, Eden’s ivory skin looked just as soft as Djara remembered it to be. More than once over the last few years, she’d envision wrapping her hands around that lovely neck. When her eyes finally reached Eden’s face, Djara’s traitorous stomach flipped.

Just breathe. Seeing Eden again brought back memories of the first time she’d seen her. That long ago night she’d been mesmerized by the sweet angel with Union blue eyes, long coal black hair, and full pink lips. From the very moment Eden had taken her by the hand, Djara had wanted nothing more than to protect Eden and keep her safe.

Now, her palms itched with the urge to shake the snot out of her. Djara countered, “I could ask you the same thing. I figured you’d be married by now. I know plenty of cowboys and miners have asked you…”

“Actually…” Eden crossed her arms. “I did get married after you left.”

She discovered lesbian fiction when she was 19. Radclyffe and Karin Kallmaker soon became favourite authors and she spent a large part of her hard earned income on shipping books from Amazon.com to her home in South Africa.

Over the years she became frustrated with purchasing mediocre lesbian fiction feeling like it was a waste of her money and time. And so she decided to share only the best books and movies with lesbians who are looking for only the best. And so, The Lesbian Review was born